Christmas tree shopping

Historic, Archive Document

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scientific l<nowledge, policies, or practices.

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Subject: "Christmas Tree Shopping," Information from the Forest Service,
U. S. L. A.

Once a year aboLit this season I make a shopping trip that I enjoy more
than all the others I make put to-^-ether. Usually Betty Jane and Billy go with
me and we select — not Christmas presents — no, indeed, — but our Y'oletide
tree and all the greens to decorate our house. Betty Jane and Billy enjoy it
as much as I do, for this trip is next best to going out in the woods, and
cutting yo^ar own tree from the farm woodlot as I used to do when I was a child.

Uncle Ebenezer always tries to pretend that Chjristmas and the prepara.-
tions for it are a dreadful bore to him but I notice that about this time of
yea.r he usua!^. ly cories around and says:

"Have .3^ou shopped for the Christmas tree yet, Aunt Ssar^:iy? The children
would be pretty disapuoint ed , I suppose, if they didn't ha.ve one to dress up."

And I always repl;^, "Of course, they would, Uncle Ebenezer. I'm so
glad you reminded me. I'll go down and choose one this very afternoon."

Then Uncle Ebenezer always looks -^leased, but, just to keep me from
knowing that he feels a bit sentimental about Christmas, goes off saying some-
thing about all these fixings for the children being an .awful nuisance. But -
I kntfW txiat to Uncle Ebenezer, as v/ell as to the children, Christmas would not
seem like Christm.as v/itnout a brightly-lighted and gift-laden tree standing
in the corner of our living room.. And sorie evergreen decorations over the
m.antel and doorways. ,

Well, that is what ha^^pened today and that is why m.y ann-aal shopping
tour is scheduled for this .afternoon. I have invited all the children in the
neighborhood and anyone else interested to join me.

The Christmas feeling has really gotten into Uncle Ebenezer 's bonesal-
re^dy. Wlien we were talking about the tree and the greens to decorate the
house at brealifast this morning he said, "You know, Aunt Samir.y, I thinli the
Christm.as tree is one of our m.ost beautiful custom^s . It deserves to be carried
on always to bring joy to all the children of today and tom.orrow."

Prett.y good for Uncle Ebenezer, don't you think?

H-HC

-2-

12/16/30

My friend in the For.jst Service tells ine,tho-u^h, tha.t this fine old
Christmas tree ciistom nay not l-^st "unless .all of us step in and help preserve
the trees. He says that the ^.var^ 'jq shop today nay have a. lot to do \7ith whether
children of the futrire have their Christmas trees. V/e can lend our influence
to prevent harmful and careless cutting.

Did vou hnov/ that fromi six to ten r;illion of these sm.all evergreens go
into the Christmas rar]-et each year? :-"any of those used by the hig Eastern
cities come from the forests in IJe'"^ England and Canada. The su^:l"^l7 for the
Lslce cities com.es largel"'" from "''isconsin, "'lichigan and "^finne sota . The rest of
the country depends on local trees for its siroply a.nd this r^ay be helpful or
harmful , depending on the v.^ay the cutting is done.

Yes, Matilda, say ■'"■ha.t you will about the Christmas spirit, lots of
people are too greed.y to rem.em/Dcr about good will to m.en or to trees. A lot of
destruction goes on at Christm.as tim.e. Public forests and farm^s every year
suffer from. Christ'aas tree cutters, especially from, thefts by m.otorists a„long
roadsides, "^any fine trees a.ro ruined by tne thief who chops out the toios and
never cares 'whether he spoils our trees or mcars the scenic beauty of our high-
ways. Even cemeteries and p'-^rlis are robbed of their evergreens.

.Ill of us vfho love trees and ^"ant to preserve the Christm.as tree tradi-
tion should y-..::e a st-^.nd for the rignt hind of cutting. According to the Forest
Service this '-'.11 ■orovide a plentiful suoply for the Christm.as trade both now
and in the future. When cutting is correctly done onlj the surplus young
grov/th, not needed for full stands of ti"';ber, is tahen. In dense stands several
thousand young saplings m.ay exist on an acre of ground on which only a fevy
hundred can ever mature. Christmas tree cutting, then, may actually aid tree
culture .

The .Forest Ser/ice also has som.e helpful suggestions for farmers who
plan to sel i -''.he trees from their "•^ro^^erty. It ^orges them not to make heavy
cuttin;;s "Uj:-ei;S they are sure of a^ m.arket . In past years uncounted thousands
of fine trees have been consigned to the du'.ip because the m.arhet v/as over sup-
plied. All of us v/ho lo^^e trees w.ant to prevent a waste lihe this. Especially
in the larger cities, fanners have to compete with large cor.r.-iercial shipments
f r O'm llor t he r n for e s t s .

Several dealers in a tov/n w]iere I often visit at Christmxas tal-;e orders
for trees ahjad of timiC .and give tliem. to those fa.rm.ers 'Jho agree to cut only
as a, thinning operation. This brin.gs the far-.'ier extra cash and also leaves the
woods in better sha'oe for future use. The wise farner leaves the m.ost vigorous
trees to grovf into valuable tim.ber a.nd only thins '-here trees a^re over-
cro'//ded.

The inferior, st-ujited or crooked trees he cuts out will not, of course,
make good Christm.as trees but tri'vaings fro-.n thea: m.ay be used for va-eaths and
other decorative greens.

R-HC

-3-

12/16/30

This afternoon ^-rhen I go shop-oing I a:'-i going to ask vjhere the trees and
greens caine fro::; to assure ri^seli that they car.ie fro::; a le -:;.Lt ir.ate source and
let the dealer lino^T that I for one a:i interested in conserving Christr.as
trees. Then I'll thinli of hind, size, shape and freshness "before I r.ahe :::y
choice ,

Local trees a^re usually fresher and retain their leaves longer than
those shipped fro::i a distance. Firs and s.pruces are the -ost pop-alar trees
for Christi'.ias use v/ith pines and cedars second "best. Firs keep fresh longest
and "because of their long horizontally-spreading "branches and deep green
fragra.nt foliage, are ideal for Christi'-.as use "but the other varieties of ever-
green are so'/.ietines less expensive and -.lore plentiful. A co-.Toact , closely
grovjn tree looks r.iore a.ttractive and is easiest to decorate.

Then there is the "latter of size. For a large roo:':. choose a tree
a"bout eight feet t.all. That v/ill he short enough for convenience and tall
enough to nake the star on top seev. reall:' up in the heavens to the children.
For the suall roo:'.;s :::ost of us have in our ::iodern hoT.es, little trees are r.iost
suita"ble. Several of :'.iy friends are enjoying living Christi'.ias trees Y/hich they
cell use indoors at this season and later "olant outside. They go out and dig
their little trees, root and all instead of cutting ther.i as v-e used to and
plant the'ii in a "big container, kee-oing the:n grov/ing indoors until the Yuletide
season is over.

Several of i-iy friends are asking for inf omati on on Christ'iias confec-
tions for the children and some others ^'.^ant a children's dinner r.enu. To"iorro\7
if you'll iiave your pencils ready, I '11 talk a'bout "'ooth these cjuestions.

ITednesaay: "Christmas Goodies for the Cliildren."